About the book:Tragedy hits the Allenhouse family on a hot summer night in Ohio when a mother of four vanishes. Eight-year-old Vada virtually grows up overnight and raises her three younger sisters while her father loses himself in his medical practice in the basement of their home.
Now, Vada is a grown woman, still making her home with her father and sisters. Her days are spent serving as an errand girl for Cleveland’s fledgling amateur orchestra; her evenings with Garrison Walker, her devoted, if passionless, beau.
Dizzying change occurs the day the Brooklyn Bridegrooms come to town to play the Cleveland Spiders and a line drive wallops the head of a spectator. The fan is whisked to the Allenhouse parlor, and questions swirl about the anonymous, unconscious man.
Suddenly, the subdued house is filled with visitors, from a flirtatious, would-be sports writer to the Bridegrooms’ handsome star hitter to the guilt-ridden ballplayer who should have caught the stray shot. The medical case brings Dr. Allenhouse a frustration and helplessness he hasn’t felt since his wife’s disappearance. Vada’s sisters are giddy at the bevy of possible suitors. And Vada’s life is awakened amid the super-charged atmosphere of romantic opportunity.
A book with so much potential. All the parts are here, but the sum of all those parts misses the mark. Oh, I enjoyed it; it's a lovely, light diversion. Vada and her sisters all have so much potential, but the story seemed rushed to me and there were many missing elements.
The entire story takes place over the course of one week, and we don't have time to see the sisters' character development. Each girl's situation is briefly touched upon and all too rapidly and happily concluded. I wanted more background on their mother and her situation, and their father was a secondary, often shadowy character. We never find out anything significant about Althea and that was so disappointing to me.
Each sister has the potential for her own story and I was sorry to see that this wasn't the beginning of a series. I think the Allenhouse sisters would make a terrific series about strong women.
Fans of historical fiction and fans of Allison Pittman will no doubt enjoy this. And, I liked it, but I didn't love it. It seemed more like a missed opportunity than a satisfying novel.
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. You can learn more about Alison Pittman here. You can purchase your own copy here
.Read 5/10
* *
2/5 Stars
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